Baby Nearly Drowns, Dad Accused of Child Neglect while Drinking Beer

WAUWATOSA - A 44-year-old man from western Wisconsin is facing child neglect charges after police say his 14-month-old daughter nearly drowned after being left alone in a motel hot tub while he drank beer and talked on the phone.

The man was watching his daughter at the Super 8 on Mayfair Road while his girlfriend, the baby's mother, visited her 3-year-old son who was recovering from heart surgery at Children's Hospital.

While watching the girl, he drank about 10 beers and took prescription medication. Then he decided to let his daughter go "swimming" in the hot tub and left her alone for a few minutes while he talked on the phone.

When he returned, she was floating face down in the water. He performed CPR, then called the mother at the hospital and told her something was wrong with the baby. She rushed back to the hotel, found the girl unconscious on the bed and called 911.

After police arrived and began interviewing witnesses, the man tried to slip out the back door.

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